WASHINGTON (CNN) - Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo's campaign stood by his assertion that bombing holy Muslim sites would serve as a good "deterrent" to prevent Islamic fundamentalists from attacking the United States, his spokeswoman said Friday.

"This shows that we mean business," said Bay Buchanan, a senior Tancredo adviser. "There's no more effective deterrent than that. But he is open-minded and willing to embrace other options. This is just a means to deter them from attacking us."

On Tuesday, Tancredo warned a group of Iowans that another terrorist attack would "cause a worldwide economic collapse." IowaPolitics.com recorded his comments.

"If it is up to me, we are going to explain that an attack on this homeland of that nature would be followed by an attack on the holy sites in Mecca and Medina," Tancredo said. "That is the only thing I can think of that might deter somebody from doing what they would otherwise do. If I am wrong, fine, tell me, and I would be happy to do something else. But you had better find a deterrent, or you will find an attack."

Tom Casey, a deputy spokesman for the State Department, told CNN's Elise Labott that the congressman’s comments were "reprehensible" and "absolutely crazy." Tancredo was widely criticized in 2005 for making a similar suggestion.

This man disgusts me. The actions of few Muslims should not bring punishment to them all.
I don't believe in any higher power but at moments like this I wish I could find comfort knowing this man has an eternity of punishment awaiting his evil choice.

How would bombing holy sites possibly deter future attacks agains the US? Wouldn't it simply escalte tensions in a region already teeming with violence? Woult it not ensure an attack on "western" holy sites (Jerusalem, the Vatican, Fatima, etc.)? For once I would like to hear a politician suggest a way to defuse widespread hatred for America instead of insiting more hatred.

Dirty minded Mr. Tom Tancredo can't think anything else to protect our country. In fact he is trying cheap shots to gain the votes of conservative voters. Different poles show he is not even close to other presidential cnadidates for 2008 US election. We as American already facing lot of hate and opposition all over the world because of our failure of foreign policies. Attacking any religious sites is not a viable option. From his statement it seems to that he is running out of options right at the start. If want to be the president of great nation he should remove crazy ideas and need to be open minded about other religions

What is surprising is that a State Department under an increasingly psychotic administration wouldn’t have readily incorporated such wacko options into its already pathological “diplomacy” rather than finding it reprehensible.

The Bush administration’s longstanding contempt for the differing lives on this planet is the breeding ground for such destructive ideas.

Unbelievable. That might be the best idea I have ever heard. We can't even control Iraq, and he thinks America can control the rest of the middle east? Not to mention all the other Muslim-dominant countries. The political ramifications in the far east with Indonesia, and in Europe. After a 7 year search for a guy who's more dumb than our President, at least we know his thoughts now before we elect him. However, I remain with the fact that Bush is still the idiot in Washington. Even more so than his little pet, the Attorney General Berto.

It makes sense coming out of the mouth of a high school student, but not out of a representative of our country. There are always options and each one should be considered depending on the circumstance. But threatening a potential attacker is not the way to soothe religious and cultural tensions, thus he is as crazy as a potential terrorist himself.

"I guess bombing Mecca & Medina would be one way for us to turn all the Muslims in the world against us and turn this into a full fledged Crusade, though."

This is precisely what the politically correct liberals of the world would have you believe, and what will put the United States in the dismal cowering state that Europe is currently in with their hostile Islamic population. Europeans have been thoroughly intimidated into silence by the politically correct who castigate their press for using the word "Muslim" to describe suspects, label reasonable cautious actions "stereotyping," and by those who would refuse to use the word "terrorism" to define the acts of violence against innocent subway passengers, etc.
Jihad against the West has deep historical roots that go far beyond events of the 20th century, and to be ignorant of that fact is suicidal on the part of every American.

Listen to Ayaan Hirsi Ali on YouTube. Read "While Europe Slept: How Radical Islam is Destroying the West from Within" by Bruce Bawer. In other words, wake up America.

ALL THE PACIFISTS IN THE U.S. BETTER GET THEIR COLLECTIVE HEADS OUT OF THE SAND. THIS T5ANCREDOS STATEMENT IS JUST PERFECT. THE ONLY WAY TO DETER THESE COWARDS FROM ANOTHER MORE SERIOUS ATTACK ON THE U.S. IS TO LET THEM KNOW THAT WE ATTACK A MOSLEM HOLY CITY AND DESTROY IT.FOR ALL YOU PEOPLE WHO WILL DECRY THE INNOCENT DEATHS FROM THIS THEN TOO DAMN BAD.

Mr. Tom Tancredo, Impossible is the word for you because you failed to catch a little poor man called as "Mr. Osama Bin Laden" and proved yourself of being incapable forget about bombing the holy muslim sites its byond impossible,,,,,, It give a very clear picture that, America under their irresponsible and nonsense leadership cant achieve anything

Does he not see that bombing a holy muslim site will only cause them to bomb holy christian sites around the world? I love how were still right in the middle of the crusades, but instead of swords and sheilds we have guns, bombs and George W. Bush.

This is the dumbest idea I've heard. These are holy cities that millions of Muslims visit every year. The majority of Muslims are good people. So why destroy something that is very sacred to them and take a "real good chance" of turning the good Muslims against us. We need all the help we can get in keeping the peace. This isn't a way of doing it.

What a retard. Screw him and all those who agree with him. Another reason why christians suck.

August 4, 2007 04:07 pm at 4:07 pm |

josh

This is rather disturbing. The US Presidency is the most powerful position in the world. Mr Tancredo's disturbing comments about bombing Muslim holy sites is completely out of line, and certainly does not befit a future US President.

Clearly, Mr Tancredo is not fit for the Presidency as he has made it quite obvious that the first thing he'll do once in office would be to blow up Mecca and Medina, just to 'deter terrorists' and to show that 'America means business'.

The Middle East already has enough problems (Iraq and the Palestinian question, among many other things). We don't need to add Muslims angry at the US over blowing up Mecca and Medina to that list.

It doesn't matter if Mr Tancredo just said this to look like he has a tougher stance on terrorism – but the fact that he has openly threatened to attack a US ally clearly indicates that he is not a rational thinker, and essentially will not be a good leader of the free world (saying that he wouldn't be a good leader would be an understatement).

I proudly claim Tom Tancredo as my Representative from the 6th District of Colorado. Please note that Rep. Tancredo has always stated that an attack on Mecca would be considered if, and only if, an Islamic terrorist comitted an unthinkable act of a detonation a nuclear weapn against a US city. Then, and only then, the terrorists must think about the horror of losing their holy city in retaliation. However, we must show compassion and give the residents of Mecca 48 hours to clear out before a retalitory attack. We cannot keep letting these terrorists have the upper hand on everything. We MUST win this war.

The key detail many on the left are missing here is that Tancredo is not calling for using nuclear weapons upon the cities of Mecca and Medina, but he is calling for the consideration of that action if the radical Muslim right, *unchecked by the silent and essentially approving world Muslim majority*, nukes western cities or succeeds in mass murder.

The United States subjected the German culture to mass murder for their supporting a hate-based leader during WWII. The United States threatened the Soviet Union with the same actions for decades. Both of this action and threat of action had retaliatory foundations, not hate-based initiatives.

Those who find Tancredo's statement unreasonable are essentially refusing to admit to themselves that if prodded enough, the Western world might find itself in a scenario where it might have to wipe out much of the Islamic world in reaction to an unchecked radical attack. Such a terrible day would be only retaliatory, a detail that Osama bin Laden and friends really do not want the Islamic world to focus on.